Listen

Sing aloud, O daughter Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem! The Lord has taken away the judgments against you, he has turned away your enemies. The king of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst; you shall fear disaster no more. On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: Do not fear, O Zion; do not let your hands grow weak.

Think

As we wait for the shouts of angel song, sometimes our fear threatens to overwhelm us. Though we want to be people who live with joy, fear snakes its way in when, in an instant, the most innocent among us become victims of violence, when going to school is dangerous, and when our expectations of strangers become evil and violence instead of kindness and compassion.

All of these things and more can make us people who grapple daily with crippling fear. With such fear in our lives it’s tempting to forget that we are waiting for Messiah, the one who comes to quell our fears and heal our hearts. Zephaniah had words for the Hebrew people, who were living in constant fear of their enemies. He reminded the people, “The king of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst. You shall fear disaster no more.” Perhaps today these words are for us, too.

Pray

Go

Move quietly now through your day.
Joy, peace and hope remain.
Seek out the company of friends,
Remind yourself that God is near,
And allow small moments of joy to return
For the healing of your heart.

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writer

Amy Butler

Amy Butler has served as pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in Washington, D.C. since 2003. In her free time Amy loves to travel, read, garden, and write. She often comments on faith and life in general on her blog, Talk With the Preacher. You can also read her columns every two weeks on Associated Baptist Press. Amy lives with her family in Washington, D.C.